


But We're A Million Worlds Apart

by PaleNoFace



Series: Tree Bros Adventures [12]
Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Basically everyone is hunted for x or y reasons, Connor Murphy & Zoe Murphy Bonding, Dragon Connor Murphy, Jared Kleinman Is a Good Friend, M/M, Runaway Zoe, Slow To Update, Spells & Enchantments, Thief Jared Kleinman, Warlock Evan Hansen, Witch Alana, Witch Hunts, Zoe is pretty much Elsa from Frozen, listen, they have a lot to unpack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-09-01 19:04:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16771030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaleNoFace/pseuds/PaleNoFace
Summary: When Evan runs away from his village, accused of witchcraft, the very last thing he expects to see coming to his rescue is a frickin'dragon.





	1. Mercy's Off The Table

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I should work on my other fics. BUT DRAGON CONNOR-  
> I'm an emotional mess, okay. I need to know they'll be fine.

When Connor looks down at his hands, at the open gash right under his plexus, at the dark red smearing on his tunic from his slit throat, he's not sure why he's surprised to see so much blood. Maybe it's because he can't feel any pain. Maybe he's just in shock. Yeah, it's more like it : he's so hurt that his brain is just - shutting down. He looks up at Zoe, confused. The hem of her dress is soaked in scarlet from where the puddle around him reaches her feet. Her eyes are shining from unspilled tears, her hands pressed against her lips to stop the terrified scream he knows she's holding back. He opens his mouth, tries to call out for her, but something comes up his throat, something liquid and hot and metallic and all he manages to do is to cough up some more blood.

Then comes the pain.

It feels like waking up, one second he's vaguely aware of what his body is feeling, the next he's completely lucid, wheezing as the burn consumes him whole, the pain flaring in every single tiny nerve of his body. Everything aches and burns and he just wants it to stop, he just wants to not _be_ if it means he doesn't have to feel any of this. And Zoe is simply standing there, watching him struggle to get some air around the mouthful of blood, doing nothing. Looking petrified. Looking too young, suddenly, with her brother's blood dripping on her hands, smeared on her face, seeping in the fabric of her dress.

Connor is pretty sure he died, that day, while his sister watched.

-

Evan's lungs are burning, unable to gather the oxygen his racing heart is asking for. His tights, his feet are aching from the regular hits of his heels on the ground. His face and arms hurt from the scratches of thousands of branches hitting him in his desperate run.

His mom warned him. She told him how the other villagers would freak out if they knew. She told him the story of the previous Queen, who was hunted because she was just like him. Somehow, all of this has not been enough to make Evan as careful as he should have been. And here he is. Running for his life.

What a joke.

Even Jared warned him. Told him that they would burn him on a pyre, or try to drown him, or go old-fashion and simply witch-hunt him. Evan told him to shut up and stop scaring him. Now he wishes Jared was there, even if it's just to be sarcastic and say "told you so".

Evan wishes he had been more careful. Because now he's lost in a forest, chased by people he thought were his family, with no food or light or any idea of where he's going. So, yes, Evan really should think things through before making life-changing decisions.

-

Connor winces in the darkness, slowly coming back to his senses.

He hates vivid nightmares. He hates not knowing if he's still dreaming or if this is just real life. And most of all, he hates remembering her. It's been... how long has it been ? Connor doesn't remember. He just knows he should be over it by now.

His back cracks a little when he gets up from his sleeping position. His neck warms up and pops when he slowly turns his head. His legs stretch. His claws click on the ground. His wings flap a little. He licks his mouth, thoughtful : hunting will probably clear his head. For some reason, nightmares always make him in the mood for some rabbit.

-

He hears them. He doesn't know if the voices are real and the hunting party is right behind him or if they're just in his head, but he knows they won't go away until he's either safe or dead. And Evan, for once, doesn't want to die.

He stumbles between the trees, jumping up and down fallen strain wood, dashing between bushes like a terrified hare. One of his ankles is sprained and it hurts so bad, but if he stops running even for a moment they'll find him, they'll burn him or drown him or whatever horror Jared said they would do to him.

So Evan runs like his life depends on it. And maybe it does.

-

Connor isn't sure coming out to hunt just today is a sound decision. He can sense that something is happening : trees are talking, creatures are buzzing with nervousness, plants are shivering. Something is up, and he doesn't like it. He doesn't like being out of the loop. Maybe he should go back home and sleep until it's cleared. Or maybe he should investigate, go to see what all the ruckus is about.

He shouldn't. Better safe than sorry, right ? He shouldn't do that. He should just really stay out of trouble.

-

Evan falls. He distantly realizes that his ankle is probably more than sprained and that it's probably going to be the end of him if he can't run away anymore. And the voices are definitely real, since he can hear Leandro and Rosa and Tex and Matt screaming somewhere on his right. And he's pretty sure he saw Jasper's red hair earlier ahead of him.

They're circling him. It's like a real hunt, they're making noise when they want him to change direction, and Evan knows it, but he can't do anything but fall right into their trap. They're going to catch him, they're going to catching him and then they will kill him and all of this would have been for nothing.

An arrow flies above his head. _Dammit, 'Andro_. Evan ducks, almost falling into a hole and catching himself at the last moment, but his momentum is broken. He scrambles on his feet to get away. Gets tripped by a boot he didn't see. Tries to drag himself away, but someone slams something on the back of his head. It's not hard enough to make him faint, but enough to blur the world around him. He gasps, coughs. Someone flips him on his back an presses a foot on his throat.

"End of the road," Tex grunts as she reloads her crossbow.

Evan hears a bestial scream before he passes out.

-

Okay so maybe this is not the best choice Connor ever made in his life - and let's face it, he made a lot of stupid choices when he was younger. But saving a witch kid from a angry crowd ? Really ? His self-preservation skills must be out of commission.

But here he is, in his bared teeth and flappy wings' glory, roaring at anyone daring to come closer to him and the guy laying between his front legs. He's not tall enough to actually be threatening, but these humans are probably not used to see dragons around, so it plays in his favor. At least, just long enough for him to grab the kid and fly away.

He almost doesn't get hurt - a lonely arrow grazes his calf, but it's nothing. He's been through worse. He flies away, goes back to the cave he calls home, buries himself and his rescue in safe darkness where no eyes could catch them. For a while, he doesn't know why he saved this man. He's short, barely out of childhood. A dead weight. But then, he realizes : there is magic drumming in his veins. He senses it, pulsing under the skin like liquid thunder.

Maybe, just maybe, this is the person Connor has been waiting for. Maybe this kid can break the curse.

-

When Evan wakes up, he doesn't open his eyes immediately. Instead, as he comes slowly to his senses and feel the dull pain in his bones, the sharp pulsing in his broken ankle, he takes the time to release It, lets It fill his entire body and heal everything. It takes some time and he's kind of numb afterwards, but it will do for now. He opens his eyes. Blinks. Sees nothing but dark. Rises on his elbows. Nope, still more dark. He gets on his feet. His ankle barely hurts.

He finds a wall. It's cold and stone-ish under his fingers. Evan understands that he's probably underground. He wonders why they didn't kill him. Maybe they're just waiting, keeping him for later. Didn't Jared say something about Witches' Trial or something ?

Step after step, Evan makes his way, direction somewhere. He has no idea where he is, or why he is there. He also knows that he's alone, so maybe it's a good thing. But he also knows that he has to keep moving if he doesn't want to be found. And he really doesn't want to be found.

-

Connor goes back out to hunt, after all, because despite everything he still has to eat sometimes. He doesn't catch any rabbit, because they're too weary now with all the stuff happening, but he gets his claws on a couple of unaware ravens that he swallows at once.

He wonders if he has to bring something for the other. Raw meat probably won't do it - it took him a few years to get used to it, after all, so he can't blame anyone. He needs to think about something. He could go to the lake and maybe grab a fish ? Fish sounds good right now.

-

So Evan maybe found an exit. The only problem is that there is a giant boulder blocking it and there's no way in Hell he would be able to push it or even shatter it. He makes his way back to where he was sleeping. The cave is a little warmer here, the ground a little cleaner. He's probably not the only one to walk around. His eyes get more used to the dark. He can see the walls now, even if barely, and he can spot irregularities on the ground. That's how he finds the moss.

And the moss is everywhere. It's upholstering the walls and the ground with a soft, squishy texture not really unpleasant under his bare feet. It's all the way up the stones, as far as Evan can reach, like a vegetal cocoon in a rock shell. If he had more time and no death threat, he would have stopped a little longer to take a careful look at it. But not now.

A hand still pressed against the wall, he resumes his journey in the dark.

-

Connor doesn't expect to find his den empty when he comes back. To be fair, he didn't expect the boy to stay put either once he would wake up, but he still can dream. He drops the fish at the entrance and starts following the fresh trail inside. It's getting down the mines.

Connor sighs. This guy is making it harder for everyone. He takes a deep breath and snakes his way in the narrow tunnel.

-

Evan hears clicks behind him.

-

Connor hears breathing in front of him.

-

Evan feels the spark under his skin come to life. Electricity crackles at the end of his fingers.

-

Connor senses it before he can even hear it. He ducks immediately.

-

"Thor !" Evan calls as a lightning leaves his hand, crosses the room and explodes against the wall, illuminaniting everything for half a second. It's just long enough to see that there is something with him in the tunnel, something big and red with too many teeth for his confort. He yelps and scrambles away, the light going off. And then, something happens.

"Ow, ow, what the _fuck_ !" someone yells, and it's not his voice. "It hurts, what the hell is wrong with you ?!"

Evan blinks in the dark, trying to comprehend what is happening to him ? Is he turning mad ?

"W-what ?"  
"I said- keep your hands where I can see them ! I said it hurts, why are you trying to electrocute me ?"  
"Why are you following me ?" Evan snaps back, not sure where he should be looking.  
"Because you're going in the wrong direction. If you continue that way you'll fall head first into a crevasse."  
"Oh. Uh, thanks ? For stopping me ?"  
"You're welcome," the voice replies acidly, before muttering under their breath. "Now do you mind if we go somewhere we actually can see each other ?"

Evan doesn't answer immediately ; instead, he calls out for Apollo and a warm light escapes his palms. And if he shrieks a little when he finds himself face to face with a dragon, it's no one's business.


	2. Echoes Of You

The tiny bonfire reflects in the eyes of the beast. Evan stays at safe distance, even though he's well aware that the dragon is probably the most pacific creature he met today. And, okay, it's annoyed and sarcastic and probably doesn't want to have anything to do with Evan, but at least it's letting him stay in the cave for now. Which is good, because it's already night time and it's raining hard outside. The distant white noise barely reaches them, making the situation almost cozy.

Well, as cozy as a cave with a dragon in it can be.

"So you're a mage ?" said dragon asks out of nowhere, making Evan jump out of his skin. "Witch ? Magician ? Sorcerer ? Shaman, maybe ?"

Evan shakes his head frenetically, trying to find an appropriate word to his nature.

"No, I'm- I think I'm a warlock ? Maybe ?"  
"Maybe ?" the other snorts, little puffs of smoke leaving its nostrils. "You don't even know what you are ?"  
"I mean. I haven't had the time to really figure this out."  
"But you know magic."  
"I guess."  
"...Great."

The dragon rolls his eyes and huffs before coming to sit a little closer to the fire. Its red scales shine in the yellow light.

"Do you even have a name ?" Evan asks, growing tired of calling it 'the dragon'.  
"Everything has a name. Many names, even," the beast hums, the sound rumbling low in its throat. "Now, depends which one you want."  
"...Okay. What's your chosen name, then ?"

The dragon blinks slowly, its lips lifting a little in a simulacra of a grin. The numerous sharp teeth make it unsettling to stare at.

"Connor. You can call me Connor."  
"I'm Evan. Nice to, uh- nice to meet you, Connor the dragon."  
"Guess it's nice to meet you too, Evan the warlock."

The rain falls faster, filling the background with a loud beat. Connor stirs a little to make itself comfortable.

"What do you even know about magic ?"

Evan thinks about it for a while.

"I know it's in everything. And... It's different, or like, it shows differently, depending from the living being that uses it."  
"But not everyone can use it, right ?"  
"Right. I think it depends on how open you are or something. Or at least on your sensibility towards the world. That's what my mother told me."  
"Your mother practices magic, too ?"  
"No, of course not," Evan shrugs, like it should be obvious, "But she learned a lot when she realized I could. To keep me safe, I suppose. Maybe to keep herself safe, too."

Connor yawns and drops its head on its front paws.

"Would you know how to lift a curse ?"

The boy shudders before shaking his head again.

"I barely know how to produce light or fire. Plus, I'm pretty sure curses can only be removed by the one who casts it. Or, it dissipates when the original curser dies. Probably. ...Why ?"  
"Take a wild guess, buddy."

Evan takes a long moment just staring at Connor, trying to take in why a dragon would try to break a curse. Then it clicks.

"You're not... really a dragon, are you ?"

The toothy grin is back, sharper than before.

"You're less stupid than you look, magic boy."

Evan takes on him to not react to the insult.

"Do you know who cursed you ?"  
"Yep."  
"O...kay. And I suppose you can't convince them to turn you back to whatever you where before."  
"Nope."  
"So. Do you plan on killing them, or..?"  
"Hell no," the dragon growls loudly, suddenly back on his legs and quickly stomping down the tunnel.

Evan has no time to react to the outburst, and simply stares at the last glimpse of the crimson tail disappearing in the dark. Connor is soon out of sight, and Evan wonders if he fucked up.

-

Connor will not kill Zoe.

Whenever he closes his eyes, there is this faint image of her covered in his blood printed behind his eyelids. But never, never he will turn this the other way around. He'd rather off himself than kill her. Because pretty much like Evan, she had no idea what she was doing, and Connor just found himself at the wrong place at the wrong moment.

It's not her fault. It's not her fault it's not her fault it's not her fault.

-

Evan slept through the night like a log. When he wakes up, the sound of rain stopped and the little fire at his feet is completely dead, the ashes cold under his fingers. Connor is still nowhere to be seen. He stays put fo a second, listening to any little noise around him, before getting on his feet and finding his way towards the entrance.

The giant boulder hovers ominously above him, and now that he can actually see in the dark he notices the clawmarks all over the surface, probably where Connor grabbed it to pull it in the way.

There is no way Evan can break through. Maybe he should try to find Connor and ask to open for him. Or maybe not. The dragon is probably still pissed at whatever he said the night before. The thought only is enough to set fire to his anxiety.

"Apollo," he calls softly, and golden light escapes from his palms.

At least now he can notice if a giant red lizard tries to sneak past him.

-

"Are you fucking kidding me."  
"Okay, I, uh, mistakes were made. Please, I need your help."

Connor growls in disbelief but lowers its head in order to look at Evan in the eyes.

"I told you there was a mine, didn't I ? I fucking told you that you would fall right into the crevasse."  
"You did, you did, but please bring me back on the ground ?"  
"Don't move," the dragon sighs and twists its neck further.

Evan's skin crawls when he sees the sharp teeth uncovered as Connor closes his mouth on the back of his tunic, but the creature is taking precautions not to graze his skin. Soon enough, his feet are back on the good old ground and not dangling above the void anymore.

"Thank you," he whispers, his eyes roaming the darkness to try and locate the dragon.  
"Whatever," the latter growls. "What were you even doing down here ?"  
"I was trying to find another exit than the- the giant boulder that I obviously can't move."  
"You could have asked me to open instead of almost die stupidly."  
"Look, I've- ! You were gone, and I know it's probably my fault, I know I said something stupid but I don't know what and why you looked so angry ? I'm so sorry, I didn't know what to do, you were gone and..."  
"Geez, alright, breathe !" Connor yelps when Evan starts flapping his hands around helplessly. "Don't have a panic attack on me or something."  
"How do you know that I-"  
"Evan," the dragon sighs, all animosity having left its eyes. "You reek of fear and stress. I would be surprised if you didn't have panic attacks."  
"F-fair point."

Connor brings them back to the main cavern and with a visible effort, pushes the boulder out of the way. Evan freezes for a second, his eyes getting adjusted to the new luminosity : the forest around them is greener than he ever saw it, glinting with the last drops of the night rain, extending its branches above his head like a protection.

"So that's it," Connor comments awkwardly, and Evan looks at it- them ? _him ?_ \- with the corner of his eye.  
"Well. I guess I should go. I mean- I probably will be chased again if I get back home but I need to check on my mom and- God, I hope Jared is alright."  
"Hm. Be careful, though, I won't always be out there ready to save your sorry ass."  
"R-right. Sorry, again, for the curse. I wish I knew more. I wish I could help."  
"It's whatever," the dragon sighs, and there is something hurt in its voice. "I got used to this form anyway. It's not so bad."

Evan takes a few steps into the forest before turning around to wave vaguely, only to see that Connor is already back inside, far from sight. He huffs. He doesn't even know which direction he's supposed to take to go back to the village. Great, perfect.

It's been a bad couple of days. Scratch that, it's been a bad couple of years.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, wanna join a cool Dear Evan Hansen discord server ? Over here !


End file.
